UNAIDS welcomes the adoption today, by consensus, of a critical resolution on human rights in the context of HIV and AIDS at the 56th session of the UN Human Rights Council.
The 2024 resolution 56/20 Human Rights in the Context of HIV and AIDS, recognizes the centrality of human rights to the HIV response and its sustainability. The resolution reaffirms that, "the full realization of all human rights and fundamental freedoms for all is an essential element in the global response to the HIV epidemic and its sustainability."
It also recognizes the importance of human rights and community leadership in the HIV response, ensuring access to available and affordable HIV prevention, testing and treatment services for all, without discrimination. The resolution also calls on countries to tackle discriminatory attitudes and punitive laws and policies that prevent access to health services and to support community-led organisations as well as protect civic space.
This ground-breaking text includes the first unqualified recognition of sexual and reproductive health and rights in a UN resolution and calls on countries to scale up comprehensive education on sexual and reproductive health with information on, "sexuality and comprehensive HIV prevention, gender equality and women's and girls' empowerment, human rights, and physical, psychological and pubertal development, to enable them to build self-esteem and risk reduction skills and to empower them in their decision-making, communication and development of respectful relationships, in order to enable them to protect themselves from HIV infection." This is crucial given that young women and girls continue to be disproportionately affected by the HIV pandemic.
UNAIDS Executive Director, Winnie Byanyima said, "We would not be where we are today in the HIV response, with 29 million people on treatment and a 56% reduction in new HIV infections, without having human rights and communities at the center of the response. However, the status quo is not enough. All stakeholders need to scale up action to respect, protect and fulfil human rights in the HIV response if we are to end inequalities and end AIDS for everyone."
Human Rights Council members expressed concern that key populations face multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination, stigma, violence and abuse. This affects their access to clinics or peer-led drop-in centres and called on member states to take action to ensure access to non-stigmatizing health services free from discrimination and legal barriers.
The resolution recognizes the importance of the Global AIDS Strategy's societal enabler targets and calls on countries to take action to remove punitive legal and policy frameworks, ending stigma and multiple and intersecting forms of discrimination and addressing gender inequalities and gender-based violence, including changing gender stereotypes and negative social norms.
